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One of the world’s largest concentrated solar power plants is set for Abu Dhabi

By Tiffany Hsu
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Something major is about to arrive in Abu Dhabi, and it’s not the ladies from ‘Sex and the City 2.’

A massive concentrating solar power plant – featuring 768 parabolic mirrors spread across 741 acres of desert in nearby Madinat Zayed – is set to start construction this year.

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Called the Shams – which means “sun” in Arabic – the 100-megawatt project will be 40% owned by Spain’s Abengoa Solar and French oil giant Total SA. Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co., will own the rest.

Once the installation starts operations in 2012, it will produce enough energy for 62,000 households, the companies said. The power will be sold to the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Co. under a long-term contract.
-- Tiffany Hsu

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Tiffany Hsu

Tiffany Hsu is a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she wrote about the California economy, fast food, restaurants, retail and alternative energy for the Business section. A Bay Area native, UC Berkeley graduate and eternal Nor-Cal fan, she once worked for the San Francisco Bay Guardian. She also did a stint at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where she developed a passion for sweet tea. She still has faith that someday she’ll find two economists who agree.

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